"What? Is that all?"
Izuna crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze sweeping the surrounding battlefield, his tone leisurely.
Nearly two hours had passed since the battle began. Many Kaguya clansmen had been cleared out.
Bodies hacked to pieces lay scattered around, and combined with Amaterasu's burning, the air carried the scent of roasted meat.
Yet what infuriated Kaguya Manro was that Izuna's breathing remained steady, with no sign whatsoever of chakra depletion.
"Clan Head, we should tell Uchiha Izuna about Senju Hashirama! We can't afford to drag this out any longer!"
Kaguya Taketo said urgently.
There was no time to tally how many clansmen they'd lost, but even a rough estimate made it clear.
If this continued, the Kaguya would end up like the Hatake, reduced to a top-tier second-rate clan, their numbers too depleted to recover for twenty years.
Kaguya Manro's eyes were bloodshot. His entire left arm was covered in enlarged bone, forming a bone spear.
"No! The more things are like this, the less we can retreat! Otherwise, all our efforts will have been in vain!"
At this moment, Kaguya Manro's psychology was like a gambler who'd lost money.
He kept throwing in his capital, and what awaited ahead was continuous defeat.
But precisely because he'd lost so much, he wanted to use what remained to turn things around.
Otherwise, he couldn't accept it!
With this thought, Kaguya Manro personally entered the fray.
"Clan Head!"
Kaguya Taketo shouted anxiously, wanting to stop him but already too late.
"Dance of the Clematis!"
The bone spear stabbed fiercely at Susanoo's shell, causing cracking sounds.
Anyone who could become the Kaguya Clan Head truly had skill.
Izuna raised one hand. "Fire Release: Great Fire Majestic Arrow!"
Unlike Majestic Destroyer Flame's area attack, Great Fire Majestic Arrow concentrated the assault on a small area.
Within the sea of fire, Kaguya Manro quickly wrapped himself in bone as a defensive shell.
"You think this works on me?"
As Izuna spoke, his right eye glanced toward his right palm. A small spiraling shuriken rose up while being covered by Amaterasu.
"Blaze Release: Spiraling Shuriken!"
Izuna casually tossed it. It passed through Susanoo's body and attacked Kaguya Manro at nearly point-blank range.
"Cover the Clan Head!"
Kaguya Taketo shouted anxiously from behind.
A nearby Kaguya jonin charged forward, his bone spear striking the Blaze Release: Spiraling Shuriken.
But the instant he made contact, the Blaze Release: Spiraling Shuriken drew him in. Under the tearing forces of wind and flame, he was reduced to ground meat.
Fortunately, within this misfortune, Kaguya Manro managed to retreat in time.
"You're trying hard, but I'm sorry—I'm getting a bit bored."
Seeing Kaguya Manro escape once again, though Izuna felt no particular anger, he grew tired of this tedious battle.
As his Eternal Mangekyo rotated, Susanoo fully grew four arms.
Two gripped jet-black Amaterasu swords, two had Yasaka Magatama spinning in their palms.
Long and short range both covered!
"This guy—his chakra still isn't running out! Is he a monster?"
At this point, some among the Kaguya clan were crying out in despair.
"The Kaguya clan becomes history today."
Izuna said coldly.
As the swords of destruction spiraled and wave after wave of Yasaka Magatama launched forth, each round of attacks claimed the lives of several Kaguya ninja.
And Izuna no longer stood in place but kept pressing toward Kaguya Manro.
"First, I'll start with you, Clan Head."
Izuna said coldly.
The moment his words fell, both swords of destruction descended.
Kaguya Manro's expression changed. He twisted his body and dodged quickly.
After the blades struck the ground, they shattered the entire surface. Rock burst forth. Not a single stable patch of ground remained in the entire area, forcing everyone to leap into the air.
"Clan Head! We can't keep fighting—let's retreat!"
Kaguya Taketo shouted from behind.
"But I'm afraid you won't be able to leave."
Izuna himself hadn't been idle. A new spiraling shuriken was already complete in his hand.
He threw one while launching Amaterasu flames from the other hand, fusing the two together midair.
Scorch Release: Halo Hurricane Jet Black Arrow Style Zero!
All resistance was futile. The instant it struck the first person, the black spiraling shuriken exploded like a detonated bomb, expanding into a massive jet-black sphere of destructive energy, pulling everything nearby into it.
Including Clan Head Kaguya Manro!
"No!!!!"
Kaguya Taketo screamed in despair.
"Don't rush. You'll be joining him shortly."
Izuna formed seals again, targeting Kaguya Taketo and the others behind him.
Though the distance was great, it posed no problem.
"Sage Art: Blaze Release—"
"Wood Release: Twin Vine Strangulation!"
Just as Izuna was about to launch his attack and send Kaguya Taketori and the others to the afterlife, a vigorous, commanding voice rang out.
In the next instant, countless vines erupted from the ground around Susanoo, binding its limbs.
Izuna paused mid-hand seal.
Controlling Susanoo, he effortlessly severed the vines and looked toward the source of the chakra.
"Stop this, Izuna!"
A figure clad in red armor—distinct from Izuna's blue-gray—descended from the sky, landing between Izuna and Kaguya Taketori's group.
It was Senju Hashirama!
Yet what truly shocked Izuna was what Senju Hashirama carried: slung over his right shoulder was Uchiha Madara!
Madara was unconscious.
"Ambushed midway, was he?" Izuna muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing.
That was exactly what had happened. Madara's luck had been abysmal.
Even though Izuna had arrived in the nick of time at the critical moment, on the return trip they had the misfortune of running into Senju Hashirama, who had come to reinforce the battle alone.
The advantage of flight via ninja hawk meant nothing against Senju Hashirama.
Already gravely wounded and with no combat strength left, Madara had been captured with ease.
This was something that had never happened in the original story.
"This is too much, Izuna."
Senju Hashirama glanced at the scattered remains of the Kaguya ninja around them, his gaze already taking on the commanding presence of the future First Hokage.
But Izuna was no Tobirama, much less Sasuke. He felt not the slightest bit intimidated and replied without an ounce of courtesy, "Cut the crap. What do you want?"
He didn't mind fighting Senju Hashirama right here and now, but with Madara in his hands, caution was necessary.
Senju Hashirama shifted Uchiha Madara from his shoulder and held him in a princess carry with both hands—a gesture that made Izuna visibly cringe.
"Exchange hostages. Both sides withdraw from Kaguya Island. I'll return Madara to you."
Senju Hashirama proposed.
"Out of the question!"
However, at that moment, one of the Kaguya jonin voiced his objection.
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